My Dad was in the Army during WW2. Just before his platoon got shipped out, my Dad came down with an intravenous block. The veins on his stomach stuck out so far they were about the size of his fingers. It was serious but it could have saved his life. His platoon was shipped out and deployed in Bataan and many did not return.
After he got released from the hospital, they made him an MP (Military Police). Doing his duties as such, he pulled up on his military motorcycle and stopped it in front of the base hospital. The Colonel came by in a mean mood and yelled at my Dad for parking it there. He said to move it immediately and take the shortest route possible to the other end of the hospital. The hospital was a long, narrow building with an aisle down the center with beds on both sides. So, my Dad fired up the bike and followed orders to the letter and took the shortest route right down the aisle of that hospital with the guys in the beds cheering him on. The Colonel just walked away because he knew that my Dad did exactly as ordered.
That act did not go over very well with the Colonel and he was closely watching my Dad, just waiting for him to make a mistake. One day my Dad was on duty guarding the gate which was in view of the Colonels office. A couple of soldiers came to the gate to get signed out. My Dad checked them over and their attire agreed with the uniform of the day, so he let them go. His phone rang and it was the Colonel who told my Dad to stop those men that they were not in proper uniform. My Dad called them back, looked over the sheet that listed the uniform of the day, and told them to go on and enjoy themselves.
This made the Colonel so mad that he dropped everything and stormed out of the office, tromped over to the gate, and started yelling and threatening my Dad. My dad then proceeded to arrest the Colonel because in his haste to bawl out my Dad, he forgot to put his cap on and thus was out of uniform. From that day on, that Colonel never bothered my Dad again. Now, I hope everyone is in proper uniform and make sure you all have a great day, you hear?
My uniform in may straw hat and fishing vest, usually shorts and t shirt as well that I wear everywhere.
ReplyDeleteWorks for me and nobody complains.
Now that sounds like my kind of uniform and armed with a fishing pole, too.
DeleteYou dad had no respect for authority -good for him!
ReplyDeleteYou had to earn his respect.
DeleteI definitely agree about EARNING respect. I've had to respect the job title even though the person holding that job didn't deserve any respect. I'm so glad that I'm retired and I can choose who I volunteer for.... I'll just add that I had such a time with my own kids because of my own feelings... yeah, I raised a couple of little rebels... but they can think for themselves and are willing to accept the consequences.
ReplyDeleteYes, I know what you are talking about out there in your jobs. Respect the position, not the person and sometimes, visa versa.
DeleteI've always thought that the higher a person rises in rank, the more they lose their whole perspective. This goes for the civilian world as well.
ReplyDeleteThat is the way it seems to be.
DeleteWhat a great story. Just goes to show that even the "big" aren't to big to "fall". Hooray, for your Dad. Have a great weekend.
ReplyDeleteIf a tree or a plant grows too fast and becomes too tall for its root support, it will never withstand much of a wind.
DeleteReally terrific story, Dizzy. Enjoyed it - bet your dad was a hoot!
ReplyDeleteI thought my Dad was the best man on Earth and still do.
DeleteLove your story. Like you, anybody had to earn my respect, and not very many did.
ReplyDeleteRespect can be harder to earn than money.
DeleteYour dad sounds like the kind of guy that would have given my dad, a commander in the Navy and an Admiral' s flunky, er, Aide-de-Camp, a serious case of indigestion.
ReplyDeleteMy Dad was a very kind man until you pushed him or someone he loved too far.
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